One of the many colleges lobbying MP's at Westminster was Cricklade College. The Association of Colleges was campaigning for a more flexible form of funding; and was anxious that the role of colleges should not be overlooked, while the debate about University tuition fees gathered momentum.

"Cricklade has strong links with local employers, and is good at identifying mismatches in skills between what are available and what employers want. The current funding regime discriminates against colleges that do this type of work. Many of those I met were not arguing for more money; they were campaigning for more flexible delivery of what exists."